This invention relates to a computer system and method for providing an adaptive computer display screen window.
A typical operation of a computer may include the following sequence of events.
The computer display screen presents to a user, upon the advent of a first operating session, a default display screen window. Thereafter, and within the first operating session, the user may generally edit the default window, by at will e.g., enlarging or shrinking the window, dividing the screen into a plurality of independent windows, or changing at least one of color, font, or topological arrangement of the window(s) per screen.
As this editing action unfolds over time, instantaneous edits generally vitiate previous edit actions. Accordingly, at the conclusion of the first operating session, the original default display screen window has been superseded by an image that represents a users last edit action re enlargement, shrinkage, color, font, etc. This last image, in turn, may or may not (depending on a particular computer system), be invoked at the beginning of a second operating session, in favor of the default display screen window.
Our work seeks to further improve and refine this illustrative operation of a computer, by enabling it to efficiently and advantageously realize a new capability vis-a-vis the invocation of a computer display screen upon instantiation of an operating session.
In particular, our new capability may be realized in an invention, which in a first aspect, discloses a computer operated method comprising the steps of:
(i) ascertaining a property of a window to be displayed on a computer screen in a default condition during a first operating session;
(ii) monitoring property changes prompted by inputs by a user to effect changes to the default condition of the window, thereby reflecting a user""s specific window activity pattern developed over the first operating session;
(iii) creating a referent comprising a history of the step (ii) window activity pattern; and
(iv) using the referent for generating an instant window for display during a second operating session, which instant window has been adaptively modified from the default condition window so that it""s properties correlate to the user""s specific window activity pattern developed over the first operating session.
The present invention, accordingly, if now set in apposition to the prior art described above, can be shown to manifest significant differences. It is recalled that as editing actions unfold over time in the prior art, instantaneous edits generally vitiate previous edit actions. The present invention, in sharp contrast, monitors such edit actions (i.e., does not vitiate the edit, as information) to an end of creating a user profile reflecting user editing action developed over at least a finite portion of an operating session. In this way, a display can be presented during a second operating session, which display is cognizant and reflective of user specific window subjectivity, as developed or weighted over time.
Preferably, step (i) of the method includes ascertaining a status of the default condition by registering at least one of font, color, location, shape, and content of the default window.
Step (iii) of the method may include creating the referent by (1) determining frequency-of-use of user window activity; or, (2) computing the maximum likelihood expected values for the properties of user window activity; or, (3) using the last image pattern displayed by the user in that operating session.
Preferably, step (iii) includes creating a referent comprising a user window activity history developed over several operating sessions.
In a second aspect, the present invention discloses a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing an adaptive window display, the method comprising the steps of:
(i) ascertaining a property of a window to be displayed on a computer screen in a default condition during a first operating session;
(ii) monitoring property changes prompted by inputs by a user to effect changes to the default condition of the window, thereby reflecting a user""s specific window activity pattern developed over the first operating session;
(iii) creating a referent comprising a history of the step (ii) window activity pattern; and
(iv) using the referent for generating an instant window for display during a second operating session, which instant window has been adaptively modified from the default condition window so that it""s properties correlate to the user""s specific window activity pattern developed over the first operating session.
In a third aspect, the present invention discloses a computer system suitable for providing an adaptive computer screen window display, the system comprising:
(i) CPU means for ascertaining a property of a window to be displayed on a computer screen in a default condition during a first operating session;
(ii) CPU means for monitoring property changes prompted by inputs by a user to effect changes to the default condition of the window, thereby reflecting a user""s specific window activity pattern developed over the first operating session;
(iii) CPU means for creating a referent comprising a history of the window activity pattern; and
(iv) CPU means for using the referent for generating an instant window for display during a second operating session, which instant window has been adaptively modified from the default condition window so that it""s properties correlate to the user""s specific window activity pattern developed over the first operating session.
In a fourth aspect, the present invention discloses a computer system comprising:
(i) an open loop structure comprising:
a) a default screen node;
b) a summing node;
c) a first input vector derived from the default screen node for input to the summing node and comprising a computer display default screen from a preceding operating session;
d) a second input vector to the summing node comprising a user generated display screen for input to the summing node during a current operating session; the summing node capable of receiving said first and second input vectors and outputting a first signal; and
e) a display processing module which receives the first signal and outputs a resultant display screen; and
(ii) a closed loop structure comprising a feedback loop which closes around the open loop structure by:
a) sensing changes in a current display;
b) remembering a history of resultant changes developed over a current operating session; and
c) generating a display screen which is correlated to the history of changes developed over the current operating session, for outputting to the default screen node a new default screen for presentation upon instantiation of a subsequent operating session.